The present invention is generally related to the field of printing and, more particularly, is related to a system and method for creating and printing a creative expression.
The Internet, which started in the late 1960s, is a vast computer network consisting of many smaller networks that span the entire globe. The Internet has grown exponentially, and millions of users ranging from individuals to corporations now use permanent and dial-up connections to use the Internet on a daily basis worldwide. The computers or networks of computers connected within the Internet, known as xe2x80x9chostsxe2x80x9d, allow public access to databases featuring information in nearly every field of expertise and are supported by entities ranging from universities and government to many commercial organizations.
The information on the Internet is made available to the public through xe2x80x9cserversxe2x80x9d. A server makes available files or documents that it contains to the public. An Internet server may distribute information to any computer that requests the files. The computer making such a request is known as the xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d, which may be an Internet-connected workstation, bulletin board system or home personal computer (PC), etc.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is one networking protocol that permits full use of the Internet. All computers on a TCP/IP network include unique ID codes. Therefore, each computer on the Internet is identified by a unique number code, known as the EP (Internet Protocol) number or address, and corresponding network and computer names. In the past, an Internet user gained access to its resources only by identifying the host computer and a path through directories within the host""s storage to locate a requested file.
The World Wide Web (Web) is a method of accessing information on the Internet that allows a user to navigate the Internet resources intuitively, without IP addresses or other technical knowledge. The Web dispenses with command-line utilities that typically require a user to transmit sets of commands to communicate with an Internet server. Instead, the Web is made up of billions of interconnected xe2x80x9cpagesxe2x80x9d, or documents, which can be displayed on a computer monitor. The Web pages are provided by special Web servers. Software that runs these Web servers is relatively simple and is available on a wide range of computer platforms including PC""s. Equally available is a form of client software, known as a Web xe2x80x9cbrowserxe2x80x9d, that is used to display Web pages as well as traditional non-Web files on the client system. Today, Web servers are increasing at a rate of thousands per month and have fast become the preferred method of Internet communication.
Created in 1991, the Web is based on the concept of xe2x80x9chypertextxe2x80x9d and a transfer method known as xe2x80x9cHTTPxe2x80x9d (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). HTTP is designed to run primarily over TCP/IP and uses the standard Internet setup, where a server issues the data and a client displays or processes it. One format for information transfer is to create documents using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML pages are made up of standard text as well as formatting codes that indicate how the page should be displayed. The Web client, a browser, reads these codes in order to display the page.
Each Web page may contain pictures and sounds in addition to text. Hidden behind certain text, pictures or sounds are connections, known as xe2x80x9chypertext linksxe2x80x9d (xe2x80x9clinksxe2x80x9d), to other pages within the same server or even on other computers within the Internet. For example, links may be visually displayed as words or phrases that may be underlined or displayed in a second color. Each link is directed to a web page by using a special name called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). URLs enable a Web browser to go directly to any file held on any Web server. A user may also specify a known URL by writing it directly into the command line on a Web page to jump to another Web page.
The Web has become a very successful means of communication between central sites connected to the Internet and individual users on the Internet who wish to communicate with the site. The communications are controlled by two programs, a Web Browser that runs on the user""s computer and a Web server that runs on the site""s computer. A Web Browser sends a request to a Web Server using the HTTP protocol. A request results in a MIME (xe2x80x9cMultipurpose Internet Mail Extensionsxe2x80x9d -see IETF RFC 1341, 1342, 1521) stream being sent back to the Web Browser. The MIME stream includes a Content Type header for the data that indicates how the Web Browser will treat the data being sent. For example, a xe2x80x9ctext/htmlxe2x80x9d MIME type indicates that the data is in the hypertext markup language (HTML), and should be interpreted accordingly; an xe2x80x9cimage/gifxe2x80x9d MIME type indicates that the data is a xe2x80x9cgifxe2x80x9d image file, and should be rendered as an image after unpacking the data in the file.
The Web server typically services a request either by sending back a file stored locally on the server or by running a program, the output of which is the MIME stream to be sent back to the browser. As noted above, the Web typically makes use of the hypertext format to display information to a user and receive input from the user. Hypertext allows a body of information to be organized into a hierarchical system in which the user can pursue increasing levels of specificity by following the various hypertext links from one document to the next.
A typical Web Browser or hypertext text display system displays a document in which selected words or phrases are highlighted. The highlighted phrase indicates that another document related to that phrase is in the system. If the person viewing the document selects one of these words or phrases by pointing and clicking using a pointing device, the second document related to that word or phrase is sent to the user""s screen. The user may return to the original document at any time selecting a xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d option on the viewer screen.
This form of information display has found wide acceptance on the Internet because of its ease of use. A user located at a terminal on the network connects to a server on the network that has a xe2x80x9chome pagexe2x80x9d in hypertext format. The home page is then displayed on the client by the browser. When the user selects a highlighted word, the browser communicates the user""s choice to the server in a MIME data stream. The server then transfers the corresponding file to the client via the network. The browser on the client then displays this file to the user. Conventional browsers also allow the user to input text that is then transferred to the server when the user selects a graphical element such as a button, etc. Hence, the user can communicate information to the server beyond the predefined hypertext link information, provided the server is programmed to use this information.
Concurrent with the development of the Internet, printing technology has also advanced. Current printing technology allows the average user to print rather detailed images and texts of various fonts in black and white as well as in color. For example, ink jet printers provide significant capability to users to print detailed images in full color. An end user may download an HTML document from a server on the World Wide Web and then print the HTML document on a printer on the client device to obtain a hardcopy of the images and text contained therein.
However, the printing of HTML documents or other similar documents from a browser often provides limited flexibility with regard to the format of these documents, etc. In particular, HTML documents provide limited ability to print specialized creative expressions that include the image and text content contained therein in specialized formats. Often, to access the images and text content contained within an HTML document for a specific use such as creating a greeting card or poster, etc., an editing program is employed to manipulate the images and text in a desired manner. Unfortunately, editing programs are generally complicated and their use is often beyond the ability of the average user.
In addition, at the current time many companies have begun to sell merchandise via the Internet in what has been labeled E-commerce. It is now common for an individual to access the website from a company""s server to order goods that are then shipped to the purchaser by way of an acceptable carrier. In many cases, the user may wish to purchase goods over the Internet to be shipped to a third party. In such cases, the individual may wish to include a creative expression along with the shipment of goods to communicate sentiments of the purchaser such as for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Unfortunately, the company who sells the goods via the Internet or other network may experience hundreds if not thousands of orders for goods in a given period of time. Some of these shipments may include a creative expression whereas others may not. Consequently, in addition to the problems associated with printing creative expressions in HTML, the seller of goods via the Internet is faced with the significant problem of making sure that a creative expression is shipped with the correct shipment of goods.
In light of the foregoing, the present invention provides a system and method for matching a creative expression with an order for at least one purchased item to be shipped to a purchaser. Briefly described, in one embodiment, the system includes a processor electrically coupled to a local interface, a memory electrically coupled to the local interface, a printer electrically coupled to the local interface via a printer interface, and operating logic stored on the memory and executable by the processor.
The operating logic includes logic to interface with the printer to print a creative expression for shipping along with the order for at least one purchased item. The operating logic also includes logic to compare a unique order identifier such as a unique bar code that is associated with the printed creative expression and a second unique order identifier associated with the order for at least one purchased item to determine an existence of a match therebetween. Personnel at the point of shipment may then ensure that a particular creative expression is mated with the proper order for goods by inputting both the unique order identifier from the creative expression and the unique order identifier from the order for goods into the system and the operating logic determines whether a match exists therebetween. The existence or nonexistence of a match is indicated to personnel by way of an appropriate output display device, etc.
The present invention can also be viewed as providing a method for matching a creative expression with an order for at least one purchased item to be shipped to a purchaser. In this regard, the method can be broadly summarized by the following steps: printing the creative expression for shipping along with the order for at least one purchased item, and, comparing a unique order identifier associated with the printed creative expression and the unique order identifier associated with the order for at least one purchased item to determine an existence of a match therebetween.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages be included herein within the scope of the present invention.